Area pools and water parks thriving despite weather

Tuesday

Jun 11, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 11, 2013 at 9:34 PM

West Water Park owner feeling impact of Lions Water Adventure Park

Margaret Fisher / Staff Writer

With Tropical Storm Andrea gone, it’s time to make a splash at one of the area pools. The weather hasn’t been so cooperative, but the pools and water parks were lively with visitors on Tuesday under a hot sun. Emma Webb pool, the Pepsi Sprayground at Fairfield Park, West Water Park, Lions Water Adventure Park at the Woodmen Community Center and the La Grange Sprayground are all open. Holloway Park pool will open Friday. Emma Webb didn’t open last Friday as planned because of bad weather, but Manager Scott Kozel said a lot of people came to swim through the weekend. Small groups of youth were checking in on Tuesday afternoon as others could be seen splashing in the pool behind the check-in counter. Kozel said there may have been 100 people on Saturday, but Sunday there were more. He said he doesn’t believe the community pool is impacted by the new Lions water park on Vernon Avenue. “Parents will bring their kids here to swim,” he said, “but usually it’s just people from the neighborhood walking in.” Bill Ellis, director of the Kinston/Lenoir Parks and Recreation Department, said there’s nothing like the Woodmen pool and Lions water park in Eastern North Carolina, which were built with public and private monies. “It’s been doing great,” Ellis said of the Lions Water Adventure Park. “We’re (having) more than we expected. We’re averaging about 1,000 people a day.” Kinston’s first water park — West Water Park off U.S. 58 South — saw about 350 people the first weekend in June, said West co-owner Timmy West. Traditionally, West said he sees about 300 to 350 daily visitors. West said about a dozen people said they were turned away from the crowded Woodmen Center. This weekend, there were about 75 people on Saturday and about 135 on Sunday. The slow weekend may have been partly due to the bad weather, but West said he’s noticed his walk-in traffic has slowed. “It’s been a bit slower,” West said. “I think the new water park in Kinston has hurt us.” West Water Park has five swimming pools, two water slides and a trapeze swing pool. “That’s been pretty popular in the past,” he said about the trapeze swing. “We’ll probably have to expand to stay in the market.” West said he’s concerned because he can’t invest too much money or he will never see the investment pay off. He’s also concerned that the Lions water park charges about the same price for an all-day pass, yet offers much more. “We’ll probably have to add new activities to keep our business competitive,” he said. “… I can’t compete with the city.” Ellis said the Woodmen Center sends their overflow to West and he hopes West will do the same. “There’s enough room for both of us with this many people coming to Kinston,” he said. There was much splashing around on Tuesday at West Water Park. Lorean Wilson of Cove City came to West on Tuesday with a church group celebrating the 150th church school convention of the Amazon District of the New Bern District. “It’s affordable,” Wilson said about West Water Park. “It’s close. We love the atmosphere.” She said she also likes the number of lifeguards and being able to bring food into the park. Allison Gardner of Cove City said she will probably come three to four times this summer, as well as go to the Woodmen Center, where she is a member. “One thing we like about it is the pools,” she said, “and we can bring food in here.” Kristina Howell, 25, of California, was sunbathing with her family from New Bern. She said she’s been coming to West since she was 12. “I’ve been here when I was younger,” Howell said. “It’s small and simple.”

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.